A new crop based, locally grown restaurant is coming to town. Main Street Farmer Eatery, owned and run by Jonathan Campion is in the works to open this October.

The restaurant will utilize the majority of the former St. Michael Thrifty White location, just to the south of Eye West Vision Clinic. The Thrifty White packed up after selling its prescriptions to Walgreens, across the street, back in 2011. The building has been vacant since the pharmacy left, with the least paid through 2016, according to city officials. Now, it will be a new concept eatery, something original for St. Michael.

The idea behind Main Street Farmer Eatery is simple. Use fresh and local crops as they are available and rotate the menu depending on season and availability.

Local as in grown here right in St. Michael.

“I’m working with St. Michael farmer Rena Haus who rents out her land to various Hmong families who then sell their crops at the Farmers Market in Minneapolis,” Campion explained via phone earlier this summer. “Ideally I’d like to use as much as possible the farmers from the immediate area including St. Michael and the surrounding area.”

The idea is that the more fresh and local the produce, the better value for the client.

Campion’s hope is to have between 20-25 items always available on the menu and everything else would be seasonal. Campion is no stranger to the restaurant industry, he spent 15 years in Europe running various bars and restaurants. He’s been back in the United States for the last two years, and he quickly saw the need to set a new culinary standard West of the Twin Cities.

“There are not enough good, quality restaurants that are using local farmers,” he explained.

Campion plans to show local restaurant patrons the importance of using modern approaches and techniques with locally grown food.

Main Street Farmer Eatery is located along County Road 19 (near Eye West and Snap Fitness) and is expected to open in early October. Currently, Campion expects to employ 26 people. The restaurant will seat 125 with the capacity to open an outdoor patio.

Funeral services are now in place for the St. Michael-Albertville hockey coach who died after suffering a head injury in a fall last month at STMA Arena. Family members and friends said Harv Graczyk died from a blood clot, possibly a complication from his injuries, while recovering at a Twin Cities....